


Ten Chalices

by kaige68



Series: Tarot [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 22:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaige68/pseuds/kaige68
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>happiness and harmony prevail</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Chalices

**Author's Note:**

> Much more Chekov this time, still very much preshash. This one was much more inspired by the look of the card than the meaning or name of it. Huge thanks to Haldoor (and everyone over at 1_million_words) for the cheerleading!
> 
> **Disclaimer:** This is not my pool, I'm just playing in it.   
> **Beta:** Read through quickly by Haldoor. All remaining mistakes are mine alone. Con-crit is appreciated, and corrections are helpful.

There was a party, of course there was a party. McCoy had no idea who had given up their home for the Enterprise crew to celebrate, he was sure Jim hadn’t outright asked for the place, just suggestively charmed someone with a large bank account into hosting. It wasn’t a huge party, which the doctor enjoyed. Mostly officers and bridge crew. He knew that the guy Jim had found on the ice planet had taken most of the engineering out drinking. 

The house was nice, and the grounds were immaculate. The owner had probably paid quite a bit for the unobstructed view of the Pacific. And it was all large enough that despite the number of people in attendance, it didn’t feel crowded. It felt sparse, and ridiculously monied. He remembered parties like it. 

He grabbed a bottle of high end bourbon, a glass, and headed for an empty dining table overlooking the water. McCoy poured and conceded that he had nowhere better to be than the party. He also conceded that saving the population of Earth, and the rest of the Federation was worth celebrating well.

Even Spock had seemed to be in a good mood. He was on the patio arguing semantic of some Vulcan poet. McCoy shuddered at the thought of Vulcan poetry.

“Doctor!” McCoy heard his name called and turned to find the slight ensign making his slightly drunk way to him. Bottle and glass in hand just as McCoy had moments before. “It is good to see you!” He pulled out a chair and sat down, leaning heavily on the table as he smiled at McCoy. “I was afraid you would not come.”

“No place better to be.” He raise his glass in toast to the idea.

Chekov raised his glass as well. “No place better!” Tossing his head back he drained the tumbler.

“You might want to take it easy, kid. That’ll be painful in the morning.”

“You do not like that I am seventeen, do you? What have you got against us, Doctor?”

McCoy’s gaze drifted off toward the horizon. He didn’t want to insult the kid, his plan had worked, but he didn’t... “You’re a kid, kid. You’re old enough to be an adult. You can drink, vote, and go to prison. But you have no life experience, no knowledge.” He turned back to Chekov. “No offense.”

“I am not offended.” The ensign smiled. “It is true. I am adult for the law, but not for life.” He stopped and they sat silently for a few minutes before, “You were seventeen once.”

McCoy nodded, but added, “Not like you, kid, not like you.”

“No, very few are like me.” He sounded sad now. McCoy felt bad.

“Hey, cheer up. You saved Earth.”

Chekov smiled again. “I did. You did too. We all did. To Earth!” He held his refilled glass high in the air again, McCoy couldn’t help drinking with him.

“I didn’t do much, kid. Mostly just questioned things.”

“But that is necessary, no?” He filled his glass again. “There must be doubt, questioning. If Mister Scott had simply agreed with me, and the Captain had said yes, I would have been very happy, proud. I might have missed things. You doubted, made us work harder, made us check calculations many times to be sure. Your doubt is reasonable, Doctor. We needed to know beyond a reasonable doubt that it would work. You helped us save Earth. To you, Doctor!” Again his glass went up, and again McCoy joined in the toast.

In the quiet again they could hear Jim, trying to sway someone into his bed. McCoy shook his head.

“I think you like it, your being grumpy. I think you enjoy being the bear with the sore paw.” Chekov’s head tilted to the side. “I think that you like to be the voice of reason... of reasonable doubt. That you are not happy unless you have something to complain about. But I do think that part of you likes to be proved wrong. That you care.”

“Of course I care.” The words should have carried heat, and been adamant, but part of McCoy knew that the ensign was right. “I’m a doctor, damn it.”

Chekov’s smile now lit up his face. The glass went high. “Doctor Dammit!” 

McCoy drank.

“Can you see it?” Seventeen year old eyes looked out at the waves. “We have gone through the gateway. We are now the Enterprise. We are the flagship, the ultimate. Destiny fulfilled. Or about to be.”

“To the Enterprise.” McCoy started the toast and Chekov followed before someone close to the house called his name. The ensign stood, bowed slightly at the doctor. “Go on, kid. Enjoy.”

“And you as well... Sir.” Before he walked away, the boy-genius left McCoy with one more bit of wisdom. “Remember, doctor, I will not always be seventeen.”


End file.
